Chapter 3. It's not what it looks like
Even though the additional reinforcements from Overwatch arrived in Kanezaka, there wasn't that much interest appeared. Even the Hashimoto clan was not properly controlled from the start, so it wouldn't change anything if someone else came instead. Torbjörn and Bastion, who had flown in from Sweden, didn't even think about taking a break and started using their new technology to clean and rebuild the street. Kim couldn't even understand how it worked, but the device they brought began to restore the roads instantly. No one knew what had happened to the bodies of the dead Hashimoto gangs, but the streets were quickly cleared of the bodies. The broken shops and buildings were restored, and the booby traps they had left untouched were safely disarmed. The stream of Kanezaka, which had been a mess with spike traps and anti-human mines, was also quickly removed and restored to its original creek. However, it seemed like it would take some time for the ash and blood to drain from the water.
The Hanamura Temple was not so seriously damaged that it could be quickly restored. Still, Shimada Castle was in a complicated situation even for Torbjörn. The base structure of the ground and stone walls of the castle remained intact, but the wooden keep and auxiliary buildings were completely burned down and collapsed. The residents also felt very sad about it. Although it had been a den of crime for Hashimoto after the fall of the Shimada clan, the loss of Shimada Castle, which had long been a symbol and central structure of the area, was painful enough. The Overwatch agents who had been at the center of the operation sincerely apologized to the residents and Genji/Hanzo brothers, the de facto successors to Shimada Castle. However, the residents accepted the fact calmly. Even though Shimada Castle was gone, they were still proud to have succeeded in protecting Kanezaka, Hanamura Street, and Hanamura Temple. Hanzo and Genji did not feel bad about it. It was a place that had always bothered them because of the Shimada clan's past actions, but this time, it felt like it had been neatly sorted out. The two brothers promised that it would take some time, but they would eventually restore Shimada Castle with their own hands. This was to atone for the family's past mistakes. Of course, Overwatch also expressed its position that they'll also support any support needed for the restoration until it is complete.
Kanezaka returned to its daily life. People returned to their respective places. Stores were opened, tourists began to wander around, and goods came in and went out.
It was not that Hashimoto's remnants or gangs from other areas did not reach out to Kanezaka again. However, as the "Yokai" vigilantes rose again, Kanezaka's security stabilized. They defeated the black hands targeting Kanezaka one by one.
When the "Yokai" vigilantes began their activities again, they attacked the Tora no Sumika nightclub. After the Hashimoto clan was wiped out, no one was left to manage that place. After finding the illegally accumulated funds and profits that Hashimoto had made, they first distributed fair compensation to the employees who had to work at the nightclub. Then they distributed all the remaining money on Kanezaka Street. It was a kind of sweet treat for those who had suffered from tyranny and oppression up until now.
The fox ninja, the central figure of the vigilante group, continued her activities as usual. During the day, she managed the Tetsuzan Shrine. In the evening, she guarded the streets as a member of the vigilante group. However, the only difference was that she began meeting someone of a similar age.
[June 12, 2078. Tetsuzan Shrine, Kanezaka.]
Kim had heard about Japanese Shinto a few times. He had read it in books, but first of all, it was thanks to Akira of Kamori Grocery of 1986, who had told him about it until his ears were worn out. He did know what a torii looked like thanks to the altar that Akira had built behind the store back in Vietnam, but this was the first time he had seen an actual one, of this large size.
"So, do you know how to do it?"
"Uh, if I remember correctly, first, I should put a coin in the coin box here, clap my hands twice, and then bow my waist and pray…"
"Hmm, you almost know everything correctly? Who did you learn that from?"
"Oh… just from someone I knew."
Kiriko made a curious expression, then bowed her head in front of the shrine with her hands together. Kim quietly stepped aside and just looked at it. In fact, for him, Japanese shrines could not help but remain a negative image.
He remembered when he saw the remains of a torii gate and shrine that were half-buried in the ground, in the mountain of his hometown when he was still a student. During the Japanese colonial period, shrines were one of the policies that Japan implemented to completely turn Koreans into Japanese after annexing all of Korea's territory. Some were built for Japanese people who were living on the Korean Peninsula. Still, to destroy Koreans' resistance and unique traditions, they used force to make Koreans bow their heads in front of the shrines. Although he knew that the Shinto of that time was very different from the traditional Japanese Shinto of today, the similar appearance alone was enough to make Koreans feel resentful. It was said that Koreans were the first to destroy the shrine that was abandoned after Japan surrendered and withdrew after the end of the Pacific War in 1945.
Kim thought that the debris he saw on the mountain could be a remnant of that era. It was almost 130 years ago now, so he didn't know if the debris would still be there. After Kiriko finished praying, she started cleaning the shrine. Kim helped Kiriko. It was because he knew what would happen if he openly expressed his dissatisfaction with the place on the first day of the date with her. And even if he thought so, he had no reason to ruin the shrine peacefully located here. He picked up a cleanly washed rag and a broom.
"Is this enough?"
"Just a little more left. There are still water stains there."
Kim climbed up to the top of the torii and cleaned the hanging symbol. Kiriko felt grateful and confident in Kim. She has confident in climbing walls and other things better than others, but somehow, she was afraid to climb the torii of Tetsuzan Shrine. Maybe it was because of the memory of her grandmother scolding her for playing around with climbing it, having no idea what it was when she was very young, or maybe it was because she fell and got hurt when she climbed it and tried to clean the symbol when she was elementary student, but either way, even before Kim came here, this one spot had always been a headache.
"Kiriko? What are you doing?"
A voice called out from behind her. Asa Yamagami was walking up to the shrine's entrance.
"Who is that boy climbing up the torii now?"
"Mom, you saw Kim before. He's one of my companions who saved my friends. He's helping me clean the shrine now."
Kim wiped off all the symbols on the torii. Kiriko gave him a thumbs-up when she saw that the symbol has been cleaned up without a single stain. Kim carefully jumped down from the torii to not break any other parts.
"Oh, ma'am, you're here."
"Oh, yeah, uh… Kim, is that right? Is that your name?"
Kiriko snapped her fingers as she remembered something that she had forgotten so far.
"That's right. I forgot to introduce Kim to you, Mom. Kim, this is my mother. She is a blacksmith who makes Yamagami swords of great renown, and a skilled kendo master. Both Hanzo and Genji learned martial arts from my mother. And now, she teaches martial arts to children in other neighborhoods whenever she has time."
Kim greeted Asa Yamagami politely.
"And Mom, this is Kim. Actually, Kim is his last name, and his first name is Jinho. He used to be in the Korean Air Force, but he also served in the US military. He's currently in Overwatch."
"No, Kiriko. I'm more like just staying with the Overwatch team right now because I have no more choice. Still, I can't be called as an Overwatch member."
"Why? When I saw your skills during the operation, I think you could be an Overwatch member now. Oh, and one more thing, Mom. Kim is actually a Vietnam War veteran."
Asa listened to Kiriko's introduction so far, but for a moment, her eyes were dumbfounded. What did she say? More than that, was there another war in Vietnam? She was going through the same confusion as everyone that Kim had met so far. He's a veteran of a war that ended 100 years ago, and he looks this young?
"A veteran of the Vietnam War? What are you talking about? That war ended over 100 years ago, and this young boy is a veteran? That was before Mom was even born. Your maternal grandfather, I mean, my father, was 14 at the time. Then this guy is a time traveler or something?"
"Yep."
Asa was dumbfounded by Kiriko's answer. How can she talk about time travel so simply like this? It's something in the world that's never succeeded in before.
However, at the moment when Asa was about to refute Kiriko's answer, she noticed something that didn't seem normal. The clothes this guy, Kim, was wearing. It was a military uniform that looked very old. And, unlike the others, his watch wasn't a smartwatch, but an old-fashioned wristwatch with only numbers and hands. Some people still wear old-fashioned wristwatches as a style, but this watch felt very different. And this young face. He still looked like a fresh boy just like her daughter, but he had a sharp impression. Above all, the scar on his left cheek. It didn't look like the knife scar that the Hashimoto guys usually showed off. It wasn't a knife wound, but a wound that was left by something hot and fast. And, this overall appearance. It felt like she'd seen him somewhere else. Especially, in a very, very old photo. Who on earth is this guy?
Kim also noticed something unusual. Asa Yamagami? The last names are completely different. But why do they look so similar? This distinctive face and jawline. Strong eyes. Uncommon attitude and confidence. Of course, since she is Kiriko's mother, it was natural that she resembled Kiriko. However, she looked similar to one more person to Kim. If he assumes that Asa's height is slightly reduced, that her face became younger, and that tied long hair was short like a boy's… Without a doubt, it's surely Akira from Kamori Grocery.
Kim suddenly remembered the vision or something else he had seen the day before yesterday, while on standby for the operation. Aside from the fact that he was at the helicopter landing pad at Camp Geronimo, there were a few more things that didn't seem right. Captain Oxton, Master Sarge English, Private Paul Jackson, and Akira. If he had only seen the first three, he could have thought it was just his hallucination or dream, but why did Akira suddenly appear there out of nowhere?
At that moment, Kim realized that another link had been connected. Yes, Sarge English. Master Sergeant English, a native Canadian. For some reason, Sarge English looked strangely similar to Lieutenant Fareeha. Their overall appearances were completely different, but when viewed from the side, their faces were incredibly similar. However, something was strange. After all, Lieutenant Pharah was from Egypt. How on earth could an Egyptian and a Canadian relate to each other?
But then again, Kim thought of his colleagues sitting in the helicopter before the operation began. He was sitting in the co-pilot seat, Tracer was in the cockpit, Pharah and Kiriko were behind me. If he connects all of that to his hallucination or something…? Of course, Private Paul and Major Dylan were there too, but they were all standing outside the helicopter. The ones in the helicopter were Sarge English, Akira, and Captain Oxton. If he connects all of them with the similarities… Captain Oxton resembled Lena, aka, Tracer… and Sarge English surely looked alike Lieutenant Pharah. Akira, umm, well, Akira doesn't look like Kiriko at all, but he looks exactly like Asa, Kiriko's mother. What's all of this similarity?
"Kim? Are you alright?"
Kim was startled out of his thoughts by Asa's asking.
"Ah, sure! Yes, ma'am. I'm alright. Yes, there's nothing wrong. Yes, that's right…"
Kiriko and Asa looked at Kim with strange eyes for a moment.
"Oh, Kiriko. Didn't you say that you'd show me around Kanezaka after the shrine clean-up is done? I want to go it quickly, so when will it be over?"
"Oh, just take that one thing out. That…"
"Okay! I'll deal with it and come back as soon as I can!"
Kim quickly ran out. Asa looked at Kim as if she found it strange.
"He's a strange fella."
"But he's also a kind person. And very responsible."
Kiriko said with a smirk. Asa couldn't hide her complicated emotions, but she said "Be careful" to Kiriko and left the shrine. She quickly walked back to home. For some reason, a picture of her father, who had passed away when his granddaughter Kiriko was very young, suddenly came to mind.
[Jun 12th, 2078.]
"So, what do you think?"
Kiriko asked, sitting right next to Kim. Kim quietly savored the taste of the soup. Ryota was standing in front of them, looking proud.
"Of course, it has to be delicious. It's our Gozan Ramen's most special ramen."
Kim licked his lips. He knew that Korean and Japanese ramen were complete opposites with similar names. Still, the flaw with Japanese ramen was that it wasn't too spicy. But the broth made with pork bones and soybean paste boasted a unique flavor. Kim didn't answer but smiled and nodded.
"See? It's delicious. Our boss, Mrs. Ichiko's recipe is popular with foreigners too!"
Kiriko and Kim were having lunch at Gozan Ramen. Even though Hashimoto had been defeated, the streets were not completely restored, and there was still a possibility that there might be remnants. Although the residents were all watching, Overwatch tried their best to hide their identities and oversaw the restoration of Kanezaka. These two had also been out working at the restoration site during the morning and had come out to take a short break. The store owner, Mrs. Ichiko, couldn't tell exactly who the foreigners were. Still, she was grateful for their help restoring the streets. That's why she decided offers this special ramen for free to this young Korean man that Kiriko and Ryota had brought.
Ryota was looking at Kim, who was hanging out with Kiriko, with curiosity. He was grateful that he had saved him from danger in the alleyway, and saved his other vigilante friends, but there was another thing that piqued Ryota's curiosity. No matter how he looked at it, this person didn't seem that much older than himself and Kiriko, but the overall atmosphere was like a very serious adult.
"Ryota, right? The shooting skills that you showed two days ago were impressive. Thanks to you, we could cleanly take those guys down in the alleyway with one shot. You surely have a big gut under there, are you?"
"Ah, that was really great! Even before that, when you took out Hashimoto's thugs in the alleyway, you were really cool. Aiming down a silenced submachine gun and po-pow! The way they fell was just..."
"Whoa, Ryota! Not that loud!"
Kiriko said, lowering her voice hurriedly. The three of them looked around the store. Fortunately, thanks to the more bustling atmosphere than usual, no one paid attention to them.
"Kiriko, don't worry. The Hashimoto guys can't be seen around here anymore."
Ryota said as if he was trying to reassure Kiriko.
"But just in case. Sometimes there are cases that people show off their faces too much and end up in an awkward situation later."
Kim said, glancing around cautiously. Ryota smiled awkwardly while holding the tray.
"By the way, did you say Mr. Kim? Did I call you correctly?"
"To be exact… My name is Jin-ho. Kim is my last name. But I don't really care, so you can call me whatever you want. You can call me by my name, or if you feel lazy, just call me 'Dude' or 'Jackass'. Our age difference isn't that big anyway."
"I'll just call you Mr. Kim. I think you'll be the most comfortable with that. Oh, by the way, I didn't say this properly yet."
Ryota took Kim's hand and bowed his head.
"Thank you, Mr. Kim. For saving me, my friends, and helping us get Kanezaka back."
Kim smiled and waved his hand lightly.
"Hey, don't be too serious about that. It's embarrassing. Besides, this is something that I should helped you guys with. What's the big deal?"
"Ryota, are there 4 more seats available for now?"
The three turned their heads as another voice could be heard behind them. A group of twenties walked in, dressed in plain clothes, but whose faces were all familiar. They were Yokai vigilante members. Kiriko waved her hand happily. They also remembered the man in the strange military uniform, who had come to their rescue a few days ago. They nodded politely first. Kim pulled out a chair for them to sit down, indicating that it was great.
"Mr. Kim, by the way, who really are you? You don't seem like a normal person."
After introducing each other and ordering food, the Yokai vigilantes gathered around Kiriko, Kim, and Ryota. Sakura, who was at the front of Kim, asked.
"Well, I don't know if you guys will believe me even if I tell you. And, this is really confidential thing, so if someone finds out, I might have to kill them."
Kim said it teasingly and chuckled. Sakura snorted.
"What, that's not funny. Tell me for real. I won't spread rumors."
"Hey, Sakura. Don't be like that too much. This man really has a gun."
Nobuto pointed to the grip of the M15 revolver sticking out of Kim's front pocket. Kim hurriedly hid the gun and said.
"Hey, even so, I'm not going to hurt you guys that I and my other colleagues risked our own lives to rescue! It's not easy at all to joke around!"
Everyone giggled. Kim took out a pen and wrote on a napkin.
[The Vietnam War.]
"Does anyone know anything about this?"
Everyone nodded. Still, since they had all graduated from high school, they knew what the Vietnam War was. The war that the United States started in 1964 to fight the communist bloc in Vietnam, began to sink into the swamp of the complex world situation and the Cold War system, and be the war between the communist countries and the Western countries, that continued for over 20 years until it finally ended in 1987. Now, it is one of the major events of the 20th century that everyone learns about in history class, as a war that happened 100 years ago.
"But what about this war that ended over 100 years ago?"
Kim tilted his head forward and said quietly.
"Because I fought in this war."
The vigilantes of Yokai fell silent for a moment and then burst into laughter. Kiriko looked around at her friends in confusion. Kim just shrugged his shoulders at her. Well, no matter how he explained it, even Overwatch colleagues had a hard time believing this at first.
"Hey, Mr. Kim! Your joke skill is really are something! I think today is the first time I've laughed so loud like this!"
Sakura said, wiping away her tears. Everyone slowly calmed down and took a breath. However, they could feel the atmosphere becoming strange when they saw Kiriko and Kim just quietly staring at them.
"What's wrong with you two? Why aren't you laughing at all?"
As the laughter died down, Nobuto said. Kiriko looked at Kim, who just sat there, and quietly smiled. Sakura looked between them, then lowered her voice and asked Kiriko.
"No way… is it really true?"
Kiriko nodded without saying anything. Kim just smiled quietly.
Kim couldn't remember how many times he had explained that he was actually a time traveler from the past. He wasn't the type to brag about it, but he already had to explain all of this to his Overwatch colleagues, Canadian armed forces' General Gunn, other Canada-U.S. allied force commanders, and even the MEKA unit in Busan… However, since Kiriko, who was familiar to the Yokai vigilantes, supported his words and helped to prove it, the vigilantes were able to accept that the person who saved them was not just someone else, but one of the veterans who survived the war of 100 years ago.
"I thought the helicopter and the gun looked strangely too old…"
Ryota trailed off.
"Ryota, come see our Overwatch colleagues if there is a chance. There's this guy named Cassidy. He's definitely someone from this era, but he wears clothes that are even more old-fashioned than I do."
Kiriko laughed. Yes, Cassidy's style was actually from an earlier era than Kim's. Kim was from the 1980s, but Cassidy's one was from the 19th century, the Wild West.
The Yokai members were more interested in the old photos that Kim showed to them. The photos, either in monochrome or in early colored tech, caught their eyes. US military helicopters and trucks during the Vietnam War. People from the past who don't seem much different from today. And Kim himself, who was mixed in among those past photos, and sitting right in front of them.
"But, just saying, Kiriko. The boy in this picture here. He looks exactly like your mom. Hehe."
At Sakura's words, Kiriko looked at one of the pictures. It was a picture of Kim that she had never seen before. Kim stood with a young boy in front of what looked like a store. The boy looked to be about 14 years old at most. But, really, really strangely, he really looked a lot like her mother, Asa. Not only his face, but his overall impression was very similar to hers.
"Kim, who is this?"
"Oh, this is Akira. He's the son of a Japanese man I was close with who ran a store in front of the battalion camp."
"Huh? There were Japanese people there too?"
"Japan didn't go to war, but there were a lot of Japanese businessmen in Vietnam. Since labor costs were low and raw materials were cheap, it wasn't a bad environment for business. By the way, Kiriko. The shrine knowledge that I knew already, was actually learned from Akira here. … He was a good guy, so he must have survived."
Kim said quietly while looking at the photo. Kiriko couldn't take her eyes off the photo either. However, the topic of the conversation changed as Kim put the photo away because he thought the atmosphere was too gloomy.
"But, Mr. Kim. Let us ask this one thing. Why did you save us? Well, we're not trying to be ungrateful, of course! It's just that, if you were a time traveler, you could just watch this era and go back, with might not need to have any obligation to care about Kanezaka that much… Why did you risk your life to save us like 2 days ago?"
Sakura asked. Kim put the toothpick in his mouth and put it down on the table.
"Umm… Do you think you need a reason to save people in danger?"
Everyone shook their heads.
"That's it. I heard that you all were in danger, and I knew that if I didn't help you guys right away, four innocent lives would be lost, so I jumped in. And you guys are Kiriko's friends. If my friend's friends are particularly in danger, then it's worth risking my life. And, are you guys just kids? Aren't you the ones who came out onto the streets first to secure the Kanezaka, because the country is not doing its job of protecting its citizens and punishing criminals? With that kind of spirit, there's a reason to not only save y'all but also protect. And, to give another personal reason… The Hashimoto guys insulted me in the first place by my origins."
The vigilantes looked at Kim, speechless. They knew well that they had to help people in danger, but it was a refreshing shock to see someone who could do this so easily and clearly. Kim changed the subject, feeling that the atmosphere was going in a strange direction again.
"Well, so. The Hashimoto guys won't be able to raise their heads in Kanezaka for a while, right?"
The other vigilantes were startled, then leaned their heads forward and lowered their voices.
"Actually, there's something we need to discuss because of that."
While Mrs. Ichiko was making and serving the ramen that had been ordered, she noticed that Ryota was sitting in a circle with his friends, talking with their heads together, instead of serving the customers.
"Ryota! It will be nice for you to be with your friends together, but can you help me out here too?"
The group looked at Mrs. Ichiko in surprise. Ryota quickly brought out a dishtowel and a tray, then started doing the work that had piled up. Mrs. Ichiko looked at one of Ryota's new Korean friends. The other friends seemed to be seriously discussing something on paper, gathered together. With his old military uniform, that hairstyle, and that face shape, he gave off an exotic vibe, even though he was also the same Asian. No, it seemed more like something old than something exotic. For some reason, it gave off a strong feeling that it was someone from when her grandparents lived. Mrs. Ichiko quietly asked Ryota while turning on the noodle machine.
"Who is that person over there? I really appreciate his help with the restoration here, but it seems like he's hiding something?"
"I can't even tell you, ma'am. He's literally an agent working in a very secret place!"
Ryota answered with a grin. Secret? Agent? Maybe they were just kidding around.
The group nodded once and got up from their seats. Ryota chatted with them for a while, then quickly took off the hood and apron he was wearing and placed them on the table.
"Mrs. Ichiko! I have a place that I must to go in a hurry! Sorry, I won't complain even if you cut my daily wage, so please just let me go!"
"Hey, Ryota! How could you suddenly leave like that!"
But the group had already disappeared far away. Ryota was no different. Mrs. Ichiko sighed and approached the empty bowls they had left behind.
"Hmm?"
Among the bowls, there was a fifty-dollar bill and a note written on a piece of tissue.
[Please pay for these guys' as well. The change is a tip. Thank you for the service, ma'am. SGT. Jinho Kim, U.S. Army.]
Mrs. Ichiko could do English a little bit, so she could read the letter that Kim had written. But the whole cost of the ramen they ate was less than $15. Why would he give her so much money? Mrs. Ichiko felt grateful, but, she also couldn't forget the boy's unique appearance. U.S. Army? Is he in the U.S. Army now? But do U.S. soldiers still wear such old uniforms like that?
Asa was a little surprised to see Kiriko come home earlier than usual. Other than that, it wasn't surprising at all that she brought Kim and all the other vigilantes. They were all friends before they started their vigilante activities. However, she was a little worried that Kim, who was said to be from 100 years ago, was getting along too well with them. She didn't dislike the soldiers, but she was worried that the soldiers' uniquely aggressive tendencies might be passed on to Kiriko or the other fellas.
"But, Mom. Is everything alright?"
Kiriko asked, seeing Asa take out luggage boxes all over the bedroom and living room.
"Oh, it's nothing. I was looking for something."
Asa continued to look through old photo albums. Her great-grandfathers, her grandfather, her grandmother, her mother, and her father. For some reason, she had an old photo somewhere, and she had been thinking about checking it since yesterday. However, no matter how much she searched, the photo just wouldn't come out.
Asa's thoughts were interrupted by Kiriko's appearance as she was about to close her room's door.
"Kiriko? Why are you closing the door?"
"Ah… It's, it's nothing else, there's something we want to discuss carefully among ourselves…"
Asa sighed.
"I wish you wouldn't do anything dangerous anymore."
"That's not it, Mom. We're going to play safely now. Don't worry."
Kiriko closed the door. There was a commotion for a moment, and then music started to flow out of the room. Asa was worried about her daughter, but she was also glad that Kiriko grew up with such strong behavior and independence. Asa sighed and started looking for the photos again.
Kim borrowed Kiriko's computer and played the Rolling Stones' Gimme Shelter at the highest volume possible. It might have been a little difficult to talk, but it was to prevent anyone from eavesdropping on the conversation. Then he returned to talking to the vigilantes.
"But Kim, why that song? Isn't that a song from over a hundred years ago…?"
"Just listen. You'll like it too."
Kim snickered. Kiriko and the Yokai members shrugged their shoulders and went back to what they were talking about.
"Hashimoto's planning another counterattack. Did everyone still remember the port that we raided last time? They're going to bring in a lot of weapons through there soon."
"Bringing in weapons?"
"Yeah. And the biggest thing is, this time they won't just bring in weapons. They're going to use these weapons to attack Kanezaka again."
"They're tough ones. Not giving up even after being beaten so much by us."
Kim said, looking at the paper with the information drawn on it.
"Okay, if this information is correct, they will use the Pier 675 of the port again. That's it. You guys raided it once, so you can do the same this time, right? Okay, the meeting's over. Bye-bye. (chuckles) Okay, I'm just messing with you all, any more details?"
Kim said, as his tension became completely serious.
"Of course. They don't just gonna bring in weapons, they'll also contact with the Red Bears' Society."
"The Red Bears' Society?"
"It's a Russian mafia operating in Vladivostok, and it's an organization that has become quite friendly with Hashimoto through their previous smuggling dealings."
"Oh, Russia? Let's put Hashimoto aside for a moment. Are there any possibilities if these Soviet socialist guys come into Kanezaka with Hashimoto dicks?"
The Yokai members were momentarily bewildered when Kim used an outdated term, but they continued the explanation.
"It's almost 100%, could be. Since it's a fairly close organization, unless Hashimoto suddenly betrays them, they could lend their members to them as well."
"Hmm, then simply destroying the weapons wouldn't be very effective."
Kim said, thinking deeply. The other vigilantes also thought about their options. Kim, who had been sitting still, raised his head.
"What if we induce an internal conflict among them?"
"Provoking internal conflict to each other, Kim?"
Kiriko asked. Kim asked Ryota.
"Ryota, have you ever met these red bear guys?"
"A few times. Sometimes, the Hashimoto guys would take them with."
"Usually, criminal groups often pretend to cooperate for the sake of superficial gain, but in reality, they are often impatient because they can't get along. What do you think their relationship is like?"
"The Hashimotos would often call them as ignorant polar bears in our language. And I've also heard the Red Bear guys call the Hashimoto guys idiots who just suck on chopsticks."
"… Do you speak Russian?"
"I used a translator on the phone."
Kim snickered. Now, we don't have to carry an interpreter around every time, instead, they use a cell phone in their pockets to interpret. This future smartphone thing was really amazing.
"Okay, let's get back to the main topic then. First, we found out that Hashimoto and Red Bear are enemies who are only connected by interests. Then, all we need is a small spark."
Kim began to explain by drawing a picture.
"Okay, according to the plan… By the way, is this information correct? Good. The ship is scheduled to dock at 1:00 AM. Hashimoto and Red Bear will meet in front of Pier 675… Hashimoto will provide the money, and Red Bear will provide the cargo full of weapons. Then we will get in between."
The Yokai members began to listen carefully to Kim's explanation. They had no problem making plans, but this was the first time they had seen a military veteran personally plan an operation.
"Probably not all Red Bears will get off the ship. Only those carrying out key transactions will come down to the dock. Hashimoto's method, as you can see from what you've seen so far, is usually to fill the containers with luxury vehicles and various goods that can be traded for money and handed over. Then, when the deal is in full swing, we will intervene in the middle and cause some confusion on both sides. They don't trust each other very much to begin with, so if we cause enough confusion, they will start to misunderstand that they were trying to stab in the back each other."
Kim drew a ship with a crane.
"They will probably use a ship with a crane because they need to take the entire container. There is no container crane in front of Pier 675. So, some of us will destroy this crane."
"Are we gonna sink the ship?"
"Not the entire ship, exactly. Our target is the crane and the wheelhouse."
"Why the wheelhouse?"
"We're trying to make each of them think that they were trying to stab each other's back. If we wipe out all the traders on both sides in this situation, both organizations will definitely think that there was a third party intervened. Let's just say that we just became the Hashimotos, and try to betray the Red Bears in the middle of the deal. Then what should we do first?"
"Well, I guess… First, we must prevent them from taking the money we gave them. And we have to recover the items without damage… so we have to take measures to prevent them from touching them."
"That's it. The crane is to prevent them from touching it. And the wheelhouse, even if the stab fails, we can buy time by preventing them from sailing away, so we can make time by destroying it. Also, if we do that, we can also leave the fake evidence that Hashimoto was trying to take the other resources left on the ship in the first place."
Kim drew an X on the ship's crane and wheelhouse.
"Now, next up is the Hashimoto guys. If the Red Bears are after all the money and weapons at the same time, then what will they attack first?"
"Obviously, the Hashimoto convoy. Trucks and passenger cars with armed guards…"
"Bravo, Nobuto. That's why we need to split up. One team attacks the Red Bear's ship, and the other should attack the Hashimotos. Specifically, we need to focus on the rearguard who must be waiting in behind, not the ones who came out to trade."
Kim added a car and a truck on the map, marking them with an X.
"If the timing is good and these things happen at the same time, the guys in the middle will definitely mistake each other for each of their stabs and traps been set and may start shooting, kill each other. And we just hope they do that. If the guys from each side's headquarters investigate the scene and find no traces of us and only traces of bullets fired by both sides, it will be strange if a war isn't declared between the two organizations."
Kim put down the pen that he was busily drawing pictures and arrows with for a moment.
"Okay, that's enough for the desk meeting. Let's all move up."
Kim stood up and turned off the music on the computer. The Yokai members and Kiriko were confused.
"Where are we going?"
"Of course, reconnaissance. Even if you guys have raided ports before, this is my first time. I need to see the port myself to determine which parts of the operation to maintain and which to supplement."
[Around 0300 P.M., a port near Kanezaka.]
Kim took out his binoculars while hiding in the bushes. Kim and the Yokai Vigilantes sneaked up a small mountain where they could overlook the port. Even though it was a place where there wasn't much traffic, it was easy to attract unnecessary attention if they were doing something too blatant. So, they crawled into the bushes where they could hide themselves appropriately.
Kim could see a wide bay, numerous cranes, containers, warehouses, and docks. This port was geographically very advantageous for an attack. They didn't even give a shit, even though there was a large mountain right next to it that wasn't being managed. Kim wondered if the Hashimoto guys were even thinking.
"Kim, can you see it well?"
"The coast is clear. Now, can you explain the structure, please?"
"See that yellow warehouse complex over there? The one with the red chimney is Pier 675."
"A-ha. Then what about the road that stretches all the way in front of that pier?"
"It's the port's central passageway, Mr. Kim. Most trucks and heavy equipment must drive inside that lane. The only time vehicles can leave that lane is when they reach their target warehouse or location. If you drive outside that lane, you'll get caught by the Hashimoto guards guarding the port. Even members of the same clan keep fight over it."
"Oh, Sakura. Your uncle works in there, right? Then, right next to the International Logistics Center, is that a main entrance to the pier?"
"That's right."
Kim watched the road and the trucks closely. Then he discovered a major security flaw at the main entrance to the port. There was a barrier with a fast track installed at the main entrance to the port, which seemed to recognize the electronic pass attached to the vehicle and open the gate. The key was what came next. Once a car passes the barrier, no one cares where it goes. If only we could get a truck and steal that pass…
"Hmm, I'm starting to get the basics of a plan."
Kim put down his binoculars and looked around the harbor.
"Oh, what a familiar. I didn't expect to be fighting in the port again."
"Why, Kim. Have you ever raided a port, too?"
Kiriko, who was lying face down next to Kim, asked.
"It was a defensive battle… More than a raid. The 1985 Qui Nhon Port Defense, it is. The area up to Qui Nhon was South Vietnamese territory managed by our allied forces, but once, the North Vietnamese army advanced on the Non Hoi Peninsula right in front of Qui Nhon Port. We fought like crazy, thinking we couldn't give up the port for a week. There were a lot of deaths, of course. Thanks to that, after a week of offensives, the Air Force regained air supremacy over the Non Hoi Peninsula and bombed it, and then the North Vietnamese eventually retreated. Even though we won, it wasn't a good memory."
Kim put away his binoculars and crawled back.
"Now, there's only one thing left. Sakura, you probably know this area the best. Isn't there a parking lot around here where many trucks gather? Where can I see it?"
The group carefully walked to the quieter areas of the parking lot. If someone saw a group of twenties walking around a place where many truck drivers usually pass by, they would most likely be suspicious. Kim, honestly thought that he had a rough face that made him look like a truck driver, but Kiriko and Ryota, who were following him from behind, didn't seem to have anything to do with the hard work of truckers.
"By the way, Kim, what are you looking for now?"
"Ah, this should do it."
They found a large truck that seemed to have been standing here for quite some time. It even had a container hanging from the back.
"Kiriko. Is there a place around Kanezaka where we could hide such a large truck for a while?"
"Well, if we look, it'll come out. But, are you trying to steal this? No, more importantly, do you know how to drive a truck like this?"
"I drove everything in Vietnam back then, so this truck is nothing but a simple joke. And fortunately, Brigitte taught me how to drive this era's vehicles. Unlike our diesel engines, this truck is powered by hydrogen fuel cells, right? Even so, fossil fuel vehicles are challenging to restore if they were abandoned for even a little while, but this truck can probably be restored with a few attempts."
Kim pulled out his revolver and struck the window with the grip.
While Kim, Kiriko, and Ryota searched the parking lot, Sakura, Nobuto, and other vigilantes managed to steal a single electronic entry pass for a cargo vehicle from the port office. It wasn't tough since they had already breached security once. However, unlike last time, this time their goal was not to destroy the cargo but to induce conflict between Hashimoto and the Red Bear society. And to do that… this time they had to use a bomb. They didn't know exactly what Kim, who Kiriko brought along, was up to, but one thing was certain: it would be a big departure from their usual sabotage. They weren't afraid of guns or knives. But this was the first time they had done something this big. Kiriko had always given this activity great significance, but she had never imagined it would grow to this extent. But they didn't want to be dissatisfied with this. Hashimoto had tried to capture and kill them all, and when things didn't go well, they attacked Kanezaka and tried to wipe all the residents out. If they couldn't stop the planned transaction, all the hard work they had done so far would be in vain. They passed through the port gate, careful not to be noticed by the Hashimoto gang.
Kim crawled under the truck and fiddled with the wires.
"Ryota! Is anything turning on yet?"
"There's still no response, Mr. Kim!"
Kim disappeared under the truck again. Kiriko watched anxiously as Kim and Ryota tore apart the abandoned truck and touched the motor. No matter how much Kim had handled these vehicles, it was questionable whether he could revive a future era's car, especially one so worn out that it was hard even to guess how long it had been abandoned.
"Kim! We'd better hurry. If we keep delaying here…"
Kiriko drew her kunai at the sound of footsteps coming from behind her. However, the ones who made the footsteps were, of course, the other Yokai colleagues who had infiltrated the port office.
"So, how was it?"
Kiriko asked. Sakura proudly held the electronic gate pass in her hand. However, they were speechless too, when they saw Kim and Ryota tearing off the truck's hood and lower cover and working hard on something.
"Kiriko, Mr. Kim, over there. I'm not complaining, but… are you sure you know what he's up to now?"
Kiriko shrugged her shoulders without saying anything. However, it was at that moment that the truck's power supply notification sounded and the motor started to turn.
"Mr. Kim! It's on! I don't know how you did it, but it's amazing!"
Ryota shouted as he looked at the dashboard that had power turned on. Kim crawled out from under the truck with a dusty face. He put the wrench in his pocket and said to Kiriko.
"Don't worry. I know the best about what I'm up to."
Kim snickered.
"So, we got the truck and the pass. Now what, we need to get a magic wand or something?"
"Actually, we did…"
"Eh, screw you, Kim! How dare you take my jokes like that!"
"No, Kiriko. I'm asking seriously. We need at least two guns. I could use my gun, but if they find the bullets that were produced in the 1980s on the scene, it would probably only increase suspicion. And the CAR-15 rifle I use is very different from the Russian-made ones that Hashimoto's guys usually use."
Kim answered Kiriko's sarcasm seriously. The truck they had somehow managed to start was currently running along the local road. The interior of the truck was spacious, but it was a bit cramped with all six of the vigilantes and Kim on board.
"Until now, the things we've only committed were trespassing and vandalism, but now we're stealing cars, forging passes, possessing explosives, and even handling illegal firearms. So, who's the bad guy now?"
Nobuto said, who was crouching behind the driver's seat. Not only Kiriko, but the rest of the vigilantes, and even Kim, who was driving, all burst into laughter.
In fact, Kim began to wonder if it was right to take these guys into such a dangerous area. Even though these guys volunteered, it was too risky. Even if they were all used to fighting, this was probably their first-time using explosives and firearms, such as in a military operation. It was something they couldn't do alone. Although he didn't know it at the time, Kim later looked up historical records and found that the average ratio between allied forces during the Vietnam War was almost 1:6. Even if these guys were worse than the North Vietnamese Army or guerrillas at the time, it was questionable whether they could possibly take out the yakuza and the mafia all by themselves. However, destroying the cargo alone would have been more harmful than beneficial. Even if Hashimoto and the Red Bears were not on good terms, they worked together for a dirty interest. If those Russian bears found out that Hashimoto was being slaughtered by a few twenty-something vigilantes, they probably wouldn't stay put. The scale of this operation was too big to leave it up to the Yokai Vigilantes completely. Even Kim knew that he couldn't continue to help them forever, but the enemies were still too strong to just hand over the 'independent operation' to Yokai. It would be better to weaken the enemies enough for Yokais to operate on their own to some extent and then step out.
"So, about the firearm issue. I could use my gun if necessary, but for the best camouflage, it would be better to use the same gun as they're using. So, is there anywhere I can get one?"
Everyone could understand why Kim wanted to use illegal guns. However, not only Kiriko but also the other vigilantes could only think of the scene where Kiriko threw away the illegal weapons of the Hashimotos into the sea in front of the port a few months ago. They couldn't give Kim a gun that had been soaked in the seawater for more than a month. At that moment, Ryota seemed to have a good idea.
"Tora no Sumika Nightclub! There's a gun in the nightclub!"
Everyone looked at Ryota.
"When we raided the nightclub 2 days ago. When we were recovering their illegal profits, I found the place that they were using as their weapons storage. It was a hidden so no one else could find it, but I was too busy dealing with other things to tell you guys and put it back where it was. If the weapon is still there, why don't we use it?"
Kim answered as he drove the truck down the road to Kanezaka.
"As expected, you vigilantes aren't just vigilantes for nothing. Alright, it's for sure now. Let's hide this truck and head straight to the nightclub!"
[Around 0800 P.M. Kiriko and Asa's house, Kanezaka.]
Asa opened the door when someone knocked on it. Dva and Tracer were standing outside.
"Oh, it's you girls. But, I'm sorry. Kiriko isn't home right now."
"Ah… Mother. Actually, we're looking for Kiriko too, but who we are looking for now is Kim, one of our group. We came here in case she's here with him."
"Kim?... No, I haven't seen either of them since afternoon, so I thought maybe they were staying with yours."
Dva and Tracer looked at each other. Something felt uneasy. Ana and Sojourn, who were staying in the Overwatch field quarters in the Kanezaka apartment complex, also felt their hearts sink when they heard the story from the two. Asa also felt her heart sink when she saw the other heroes acting like that. She tried to take down her sword hanging on the wall. However, she remembered what Kiriko had said during the day. She let out a sigh. Since they were friends who usually did everything on their own, and that friend called Kim seemed a little strange, but seemed to have decent abilities, it didn't seem like there would be much danger, but she couldn't help but be worried. Asa went out to the apartment balcony and looked outside. All she could feel was a light breeze blowing in the quiet neighborhood.
[1000 P.M., mountain near the port.]
Kim took out his binoculars again. Most of the port was usually operated for 24 hours, but he heard that this place usually became as quiet as a library after 11 p.m. He looked around with his binoculars first and saw the number of people and cars passing by was really decreasing. It seemed that the people of the past and the people of the future both had one thing in common: wanted to get off work as fast as they could.
"Mr. Kim."
Ryota quietly poked Kim on the shoulder. Kim looked toward the port, then turned his eyes toward the bay outside. When he looked toward Ryota's finger, he saw a small light floating on the darkened sea. Looking through his binoculars, he could see a small ship with a crane attached to it, anchored on the sea with only the bare minimum lights on.
"Those must be the Red Bears. They're planning to wait there until the time of rendezvous."
Ryota nodded silently. Kiriko looked at the Hashimoto members wandering around the port. Despite losing many members in the battle at Kanezaka, their defense still seemed strong. For the Yokai vigilante, if it had been as usual, they would have ended up destroying the cargo again, or maybe in an even worse situation. But this time, it seemed like they could beat them down on the part of the well-planned. They didn't want to fight dirty at all, but it was reassuring to have a support unit right next to them who was more expert at dirty fighting than Hashimotos did so far.
After 11 p.m., Kim took out a wooden box that had been loaded onto the truck. Everyone could see the crude but legible hand-drawn warning signs for flammable. Inside the box, there were mortar shells and M6 rocket shells tied with grenade detonators, aka, the IEDs. Kim carefully took out the explosives one by one and distributed them to the members of the Yokai.
"Now, one per person. And don't forget. If one of these explodes, it will kill not only you but also your colleagues right next to you, you all hear me?"
Everyone nodded. This burden was a first for everyone. The fact that the already heavy bomb had an unimaginable power made all the Yokai members tremble with tension.
"Do you all still remember how to handle it? I'll emphasize this again. Attach the bomb, pull out the pin, and just run no matter what - Left something behind? Any missed stages? Don't worry about anything. Once you pull out the pin, you must run as fast as you can."
Kim wondered what he was really doing, even though it was his plan. It was a serious matter, to give Hashimoto the last shot, but he was also asking his peers to do a bomb attack. There had been many booby traps during the Vietnam War, but attacks using people as a bomb delivery were the dirtiest, used not by the North Vietnamese Army but by the National Liberation Front guerrillas, and only the filthiest of them. Even the enemies knew that using children as weapons was the worst. Kim swore that once this was over, he would never show off these guys a gun again.
"Kiriko, you remember the plan, right? The other kids' goal is to set the bomb, and your goal is to protect them until the end so that they can escape safely."
Kiriko nodded quietly. As Kim tried to turn around, Kiriko held him back for a moment.
"Just a second, Kim."
"Why?"
"…Thank you. Even though it wasn't your job at all, you helped our vigilantes with all your heart."
"Gosh, I thought it was something more serious. Then what else is there between us? We're friends because we can help each other in times like this."
Kim answered as usual. However, Kiriko was different. She pulled Kim's face closer and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.
"Darling, please come back safe and alive."
Kiriko pushed through the grass to join the other members. Kim froze for a moment before coming to his senses. It was a feeling he had never felt before. It was like electricity was flowing through his entire body, uh… well, anyway, it was a feeling that was hard to explain. Kim got down to the truck where Ryota was waiting. He tried to hide the corners of his lips that kept snickering.
"By the way, Mr. Kim, are you dating with Kiriko?"
"… What?"
"No, when I saw the two of them hanging out together and talking to each other, the atmosphere was so different from usual."
"… Well, I like her. But she hates me."
Kim said that and chuckled. Ryota looked at Kim with a dumbfounded expression.
[0100 A.M. Port, in front of Pier 675.]
The ship of the 'Red Bears Society' mafia approached the port silently at the appointed time. Hashimoto gangs also lined up in front of the port. Even black passenger cars and trucks.
"Hey, I heard you guys got struck a while ago, but now that I look at it, it doesn't seem like there was any problem?"
"What do you mean, we get hit with what? We just had to do some work by dealing with some rascals."
The two negotiators of the Hashimoto clan and the Red Bears Society said as soon as they met. The other goon members of the gangs just quietly watched and guarded the transaction.
"Okay, check it all at the same time as usual?"
"Ha, if I say more, it's a hassle."
The two large carrier bags that Hashimoto brought and the three wooden boxes that the mafia had unloaded from the ship opened at the same time. The carrier bags were filled with dollars, and the wooden boxes were filled with new Russian military-grade rifles, heavy weapons, and explosives.
"Hey, It's all dollars! You guys usually prepared the rubles well."
"Please understand this once. The situation here is so urgent that we couldn't exchange it for rubles."
"Yeah, well… I don't think the boss will like it."
The Red Bears' negotiator said quietly. In fact, they didn't need to worry about it anymore. This was going to be their last deal with Hashimoto anyway.
The Red Bear Mafia was actually planning to cut ties with Hashimoto. They heard that these guys didn't just do a war, but rather than got annihilated the entire branch that was managing the neighborhood after messing with a few locals. They don't know how much influence the Hashimoto clan has in other areas, but judging by this, the Red Bears didn't want to treat Hashimoto as their equal anymore. It was time to end it.
"Okay, both the goods and the payment seem fine, so should we step aside now?"
"Oh, actually, there's one more thing remaining. There is a message that our boss asked me to tell you guys directly."
The Red Bear negotiator made a gesture. The Russian mafia goons who had come down to the dock exchanged glances. The automatic rifles in their thick hands flashed by the pier lights. The Hashimoto's negotiator guessed that something was wrong.
"In fact, the boss has never thought lightly of our dealings with the Hashimoto clan. However, the boss said that he was very disappointed in your recent actions as an ally cartel. So…"
The Red Bear negotiator reached into his back pocket. He felt a heavy pistol in his hand.
In an instant, bright headlights began to illuminate them from afar.
"What is that?"
A trailer truck was approaching them quickly. While Hashimoto and the Red Bear goons were all confused, the truck stopped menacingly in front of them, honking its horn loudly.
"Hey, the hell are you guys doing here?! You've blocked the entire work area! Come on, give us some space here!"
The truck driver opened the window and shouted. He was a driver who looked quite young… and wearing glasses.
"Hey, you little rookie shit. Do you even know what you're doing now? Turn your truck around and get lost, before I blow your shithole!"
One of Hashimoto's lower-ranking members kicked the truck and said.
"Who do you call me a rookie? Get your dirty feet off my truck! And you're the ones who should get the fuck out of here! You guys know that unloading starts at 1 AM here, and you block this dock?! Hurry up and remove those cars and cargo! Do you know how many more transport schedules is remain after this?!"
The truck driver kept honking his horn. The members of both the gang on the dock and the mafia crew members on the boat watched the unfolding events as if they were absurd.
"Ah, get that all useless shits off and move the car already!"
The truck driver kept yelling. Inside the truck, under the dashboard, which was not visible from the outside, Ryota, who had borrowed Kim's revolver, was hiding, crouching. Ryota gripped the gun tightly with both hands and tried to get up. But the truck driver signaled with his hand that it was not yet. Kim was recognizable as a truck driver, even though he was wearing only a shabby jumper that he had borrowed 2 days ago and a dirty beret that truck drivers usually wore. He thought that they were nothing special, seeing as how they couldn't tell who it was in front of them now, whether it was Hashimoto or the Red Bears. However, even though they were nothing special, they were the guys with guns, so he shouldn't go too far. Hashimoto started to act more threateningly, but Kim didn't step back either. This was because the vigilantes hadn't fully boarded the ship yet.
The crew members on the ship, who were watching the chaos outside, were suddenly ambushed by those who jumped onto the ship. The sentries on the deck and those guarding the cabin and wheelhouse were instantly subdued with swords, shurikens, or kunai. The attackers were all dressed in black, and the tiger emblem of the Hashimoto clan was drawn in large on their chests and backs. After making sure all the remaining crew members were dead, they set explosives on the wheelhouse and crane. The attacker who was standing on the bow signaled to the truck with a flashlight.
"Now!"
Kim shouted sharply. Ryota, holding a revolver, jumped up from the passenger seat. The gun was aimed at the Red Bear Mafia's negotiator.
[Bang!]
The bullet fired shattered the windshield and pierced the Mafia negotiator's shoulder. He quickly turned his body to avoid being hit in the chest by the bullet, saving his life, but he ended up unintended pulling out the pistol that he was holding. Everyone was momentarily shocked by the sudden gunshot, but Hashimoto's negotiator noticed that the Mafia negotiator in front of him was preparing to pull out his pistol. That meant only one thing. They were preparing to stab them in the back.
"Boss! We've dealt with the Red Bear! I'll call the backups!"
Ryota shouted in Japanese. The Red Bear Mafia members on the dock also learned Japanese for the deal, so they could understand what he meant. And they began to believe what Kim and the Yokai Vigilantes had wanted them to do. They thought Hashimotos also prepared a betrayal.
The vigilantes on the ship pulled out the safety pins and jumped off the ship at the signal of Ryota's gunshot.
"Hey! Who's that over there!"
A mafia member on the dock quickly spotted them running. He also clearly saw Hashimoto's tiger seal drawn on their backs and chests. The member tried to shoot them but was immediately lifted up by the terrifying explosion and pillar of fire that followed and was thrown straight down onto the dock.
The plan was to blow up only the wheelhouse and the crane, but it seemed that the bomb was a bit too powerful. The ship rose from the sea once due to the explosion, and then fell down, hanging on the dock. Seawater began to pour in, but it seemed that it would not completely sink the whole ship because it was hanging on the dock. Kim, who had seen it, put the truck's gear in reverse.
The other members of the gang, who were still stunned by the explosion that had just occurred, saw the truck run away. The Russians also saw the gunshot from the truck hit their negotiator. And before the ship exploded, the guys wearing clothes with Hashimoto's seal jumped out from the ship. There was no need to think about it any further. This was clearly Hashimoto's plan.
"Shoot them all!"
The Russians started shooting all at once. The Hashimotos didn't stay still either. The dock was instantly filled with gunfire. The Red Bear negotiator tried to shoot his pistol but soon discovered that his whole arm holding the pistol had been cut off. Hashimoto's negotiator slashed the Russian negotiator's throat with a flash of his sword. He didn't know what the hell was going on, but it was clear that the Red Bears had prepared a plan for them. So, they had to fight back. Oh, and catch that truck too.
"Kill all those Russians! And some of them, chase that truck!"
The port became a crucible of chaos.
Hashimoto's goons, who were chasing the truck, soon found out that the truck was standing still in the middle of the dark road, emitting smoke.
"What? Did it get flat out before it could even run away far more?"
The gang members slowly approached the truck. At that moment, the door of the container on the back of the truck slammed open. Ryota had kicked the door open. In his hand, there was a new Russian-AK assault rifle. That wasn't all. Kim was lying face down, holding a neatly maintained RPD machine gun, even though it was a bit old.
The two pulled the trigger without anyone being able to say anything. Hashimoto's gang members were unable to respond properly and were left with numerous holes in their bodies.
The vigilantes who jumped out of the ship and ran up the mountain without a plan stopped for a moment when they found that no one was chasing them anymore. They took off their clothes with Hashimoto's emblem on them while panting. They hated that disgusting pattern tattooed on their clothes, even if it was inevitable for the operation. Soon, they glanced at the harbor where the gunfire was slowly dying. The ship they had blown up was half-submerged in water, hanging on the dock, burning. They panted, but realized that what they had thought was crazy had actually succeeded. They were briefly delighted, but Kiriko calmed down the other members. It was because they had not yet confirmed that Kim and Ryota were safe.
"You idiots. You think that the truck got stuck just because there was smoke rising from under?"
"I wondered what use a smoke grenade would be… but now it's actually providing the best deception effect!"
Kim smiled at Ryota's words. The two were throwing the bodies of Hashimoto's gang members into the sea. It was a real mafia style. They don't know if the Red Bear guys actually did this, but at least there was a high probability that suspicion would be directed at someone other than themselves.
"Oh, my back. I'm sorry, Ryota. Guessing I did put the hardest part to you."
"Hey, this is nothing. I've done worse."
"… Well, that's fortunate. You also have to endure what I have to do from now on."
Kim and Ryota turned around at the ominous voice. Hashimoto's negotiator, covered in wounds, was approaching them, with his katana flashing.
"As expected, something felt strange. You were the one who helped the Yokai, who slaughtered our poor brothers in Kanezaka."
The negotiator glared at Kim with a sharp gaze. Kim and Ryota raised both hands. The gun was still in the truck, so they had no weapons to fight back now.
"Don't move a single muscle both of you. If you do anything stupid, I'll blow off all your limbs on the spot."
The negotiator came closer, swinging his katana more threateningly. Ryota felt his knee was wobbling.
"Hey, you peanut. I'll give you a special treat for being young. I'll give you five more minutes to breathe. After I take care of this tall fucker."
The negotiator held the sword in front of Kim's eyes.
"But I'm still impressed by the fact that you bravely fought against us. I'll grant you your last wish. You can choose where you want to be cut off first. Your ears? Or your lips?"
"… You can start chopping me off wherever you want. However, I only have one last wish. Can I smoke one cigarette before I die?"
The negotiator looked at him with suspicion for a moment, then put away his sword.
"Just one."
Kim put his hand into his jacket's inner pocket and took out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He took out a cigarette, took a bite, and lit it.
"How does it taste?... It's probably fantastic. The cigarette you smoke after killing someone tastes so good… Enjoy it now. You'll probably never taste it again."
Ryota looked up at Kim with a sad face. Kim put the lighter back in his pocket.
"I wonder if you enjoyed the taste. Now, smoke the rest of it in the afterlife."
The negotiator swung his sword high. Ryota shut his eyes tightly.
[Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!]
Gunshots rang out five times in a row. Ryota covered his ears in surprise. The negotiator slowly collapsed to the ground with heavy blood flowing from his forehead. The knife not only fell to the ground but was embedded in the asphalt. Ryota opened his eyes and was dumbfounded by the situation in front of him. There was a hole in Kim's jacket and smoke was rising. He took out a revolver from his jacket's pocket. It was the one Ryota had returned to him earlier and kept inside his clothes.
"What the… Mr. Kim…"
"Ryota, I don't know if you'll ever use this method… but keep this in mind. You should always have one last weapon on you to prepare for a final counterattack."
Kim said, tapping the bullet holes in his jacket to cool the heat down.
The other Yokai vigilantes rushed to where Kim and Ryota were. After confirming that everyone was safe, they did the final finishing touches.
First, they left the weapons that the Red Bears' Society had brought. If the arms smuggling was publicly reported on the news, the Hashimoto guys wouldn't be able to do anything so openly. Well, they wondered if there were any members left to do something else.
Then they threw the assault rifles and machine guns that Kim and Ryota had borrowed from the nightclub, along with the remaining spare weapons and explosives, into the sea in front of the harbor. It was unsettling, but these were items that should never be used again. Finally, Kim put the entire truck that he had been driven so far into the water. Although it was still in fine condition, there was nothing he could do about destroying the evidence.
The first train heading to Hanamura Station was empty. The Yokai members all fell asleep as soon as they sat down on the seat. Kim was looking out the window at the dawn sky slowly getting brighter. That crazy plan really worked. He petted Kiriko's hair as she leaned against him and fell asleep. Then he looked at his other friends. No matter how familiar a heist like this is to them, something like today shouldn't happen again. Even if it worked, it wouldn't change the fact that it was Kim who had planned and ordered the dangerous mission while giving them the improvised bomb. He felt more ashamed than relieved. And rather than wielding a weapon in front of them, he changed his vow to never give them guns or bombs in their hands again.
Asa was dreaming. It felt like she was walking through a tunnel with an exit in the distance. She could see something outside the tunnel, but it wasn't clear. As she continued walking toward the exit, she suddenly felt a strong light envelop her. As she slowly opened her eyes, which had been tightly shut because of the dazzling light, Asa found herself standing in the middle of a street in an unknown neighborhood. It didn't seem like a big city. The tallest building was only about four stories high, and the streets were lined with single-story houses, and the roads were unpaved dirt. And the residents were all speaking in a language that she had never heard before. Asa thought she was having this dream because of the light novels she had been reading for fun about traveling to another world. However, that wasn't the case. She saw cars and utility poles on the side of the road. The other-world novels she had been reading were usually magical fantasy worlds modeled after the Medieval Periods. The place that seemed to be an electronic store was filled with monochrome TVs. The cars were really old-fashioned vehicles with angular designs and rubber tires, unlike the cars of today.
First of all, it didn't seem like Japan. Asa spotted a person wearing a bamboo hat as he walked by. He seemed to be a farmer, and she could see in the countryside of Japan, too, but the bamboo hat he was wearing was very different from the hats that she could see in Japan. And, these days, only few people are remaining who are farming with their hands and feet like this person. Most importantly, a girl who seemed to be a schoolgirl was walking by, and she was wearing a pure white dress, an Ao Dai, which was traditional clothes in Vietnam. Unless she was in a theme park, this seemed like Vietnam of long time ago.
Asa looked around the street in confusion, not knowing why she was in the Vietnam of the past.
"Let go of this!"
At that moment, a boy's sharp shout reached her ears. Asa turned around and saw a young boy surrounded by big dudes in the corner of the alley. That plain olive-colored shirt and pants and their hair was cut short. Are they soldiers?
"What did I even do? You were the first to interrupt me while I was cleaning up in front of the store!"
The boy lashed out. The black soldier who had been holding him by the collar sneered.
"You forgot the most important thing! The fact that you were seen by us!"
The black soldier punched the boy in the stomach. He burst into tears, but as if he didn't want to give up, he raised his voice even louder.
"Is that all you can do? I can't even feel it. Show me your worst, Yankee G.I!"
This time, the white soldier standing next to him seemed to be about to kick.
"Hey! Knock that shit out already!"
Someone grabbed his leg and twisted it, causing the white soldier to fall to the side. The rest of the soldiers looked back. Asa was standing there glaring at them.
"What the heck? Hey, kid, is that your mom?"
"Ma'am, please, just go! These people aren't very good kind of!"
"Hey, you look like Asian too. If you don't want to die, just go away already!"
The black soldier pushed Asa's chest with his thick hand. Asa grabbed the hand and twisted it.
"Ahhhh, the hell is this bitch doing?!"
The white soldier kicked Asa in the side. Asa felt like her breath was stopping for a moment, but she didn't lose her stance and took an attacking stance.
"What the heck, a bitch who does martial arts?"
The white soldier spat. Asa clenched her fists.
"Hey! The fuck is happening over there!"
A familiar voice was heard. Asa turned around and saw another group of soldiers walking toward them. The only difference was that they were all wearing helmets with the letters M.P. written in white. The one in the middle was… Asa couldn't believe his eyes. Sergeant Kim, whom Kiriko had introduced, was standing in the middle.
"Fuck! It's the military police!"
The soldiers who had been harassing the boy started to run away. The military police also ran to catch them.
"Hey, catch them all! Don't let a single one escape!"
Sergeant Kim shouted after the military police who were running. Then he ran straight to the boy and Asa.
"Akira, you alright? How much did those guys hurt you?"
"Not much, Sarge Kim. I'm okay. Have you seen me get hurt so easily by something like this?"
Asa looked down at Akira and Kim. Akira? Is this kid Japanese too? But why did this happen to me, met the Japanese boy here, in Vietnam?
"Still, it's fortunate that you didn't get hurt. Uh… Also, may I ask who you are, ma'am?"
Kim checked Akira's condition and spoke to Asa.
"Kim, what's going on? Where am I now?"
"… How did you know my name, ma'am? Do you know me?"
"Why don't I know you? Kiriko is definitely…"
"… Kiriko? Who is that? Akira, do you know her by any chance?"
Kim looked at Asa with a puzzled expression. Akira also looked closely at Asa's face and answered.
"No, I don't know who is she. I just met her today. But she helped me out when I was being beaten earlier."
Kim looked at Asa and noticed footprints on her side.
"Oh, dear. That fuckers also harmed you. Are you okay, ma'am?"
"Oh, it's nothing special…"
"It might not be much, but your clothes are ruined, ma'am. Come with us for a moment. We have new clean clothes at our store."
Akira said, taking Asa's hand and leading her. Kim followed. Asa followed the two without knowing what was going on.
"Here, that's our store. I'll give you a new shirt, so come in."
Akira pointed with his finger. But Asa froze in place. The hiragana letters beneath the English letters triggered her memory.
Kamori Grocery.
Asa remembered a photo that she had forgotten for a while. The story of her father and grandfather, when before she was born, and when her father was a child, doing business with her grandfather in Vietnam. And this grocery store. She clearly remembered seeing it in a photo. It was the exact grocery store that appeared in the photo of her father and her grandfather when they were both young. Then… This time right now, must be the 1980s.
"Akira, you're coming now. Hey, Kim! You came along, too."
"Mr. Kamori."
A man with a round beard around his mouth came out from the store entrance. A man who looked to be in his 40s. That man was Asa's grandfather. Asa still remembered the appearance of her grandfather, who had passed away just before she became a teenager. The man who came out of the store looked almost exactly like her old grandfather. In front of her now, her grandfather in his middle age, before he had become a white-haired old man, was standing.
Asa looked down at the boy. Then, this boy's name must be Akira Kamori. And, it must have been her father. Then there was only one last thing left. Why on earth was Kim here?
"Akira, who is the woman behind you? I've never seen her before."
"Akira spilled some merch on the street, and she was helping him out for a bit. Her clothes got a little dirty, so we brought her here."
"Oh, I see. By the way, this lady over here. Why does she look so much like Akira…?"
Mr. Kamori looked at Asa carefully. Kim also looked at her and nodded.
"You're right, Mr. Kamori. Something is strange. Why does she look so exactly like Akira?"
Asa got up from her bed in surprise. The morning sunlight was slowly growing brighter outside the window. She looked around. It was her house in Kanezaka, and she was on her bed. Asa couldn't forget the strange experience even as she got up. In the past, in Vietnam, she found the image of her young grandfather and young father. Now, since both of them had passed away a long time ago, there was no way to confirm it.
Asa went out to the living room and found Kiriko's room door wide open. When she looked inside, she saw Kiriko, who hadn't come in until she went to bed last night, sleeping in the bed with her friend, Kim, without even changing their clothes properly. It wasn't a normal sleeping position; it was as if they had come home late and were sleeping entangled with each other because of the fatigue. In their current state, it seemed like they wouldn't have noticed even if she punched them both. Asa felt her anger rising, but she still quietly closed the door. At least they both returned safely without any injuries. She doesn't know what they both did all night. Asa just turned on the kitchen light and turned on the TV. Then, she stopped there. The TV showed a port not far from Kanezaka. The wrecked and stranded smuggling ship and the battle site between the two gangs were visible.
Kiriko and Kim also woke up soon after. Asa directly questioned them. However, Kim and Kiriko only made excuses that they had been walking around the Tokyo area together all night and had returned on the first train in the morning. Asa glared at them, but Kim and Kiriko tried to pretend to know nothing else. In the end, Asa gave up. Whatever it was, there were no problems or tails followed, and they were both safe.
"… I'll just let it go for now, but try the same thing one more time. That time, you two won't gonna have any excuses."
"Yes, Mother."
They both answered quietly. Kiriko and Kim looked at each other, and snickered while trying their best to keep Asa from hearing it. Asa started preparing breakfast.
"Oh, by the way, Kim. Can you show me that picture one more time? That Japanese boy who looks exactly like my mom. I want to show this to my mom."
Kiriko said to Kim. Asa turned her head, wondering what she was talking about. Kim took out the photo and placed it on the table.
"It's nothing special, ma'am. It's just a picture I took with some people I was close with, but Kiriko and her other friends said that one of them looked like you, ma'am."
Kim turned the picture so Asa could see it. Kiriko looked between the picture and her mom's face, then said.
"Look, he really does look like you, mom."
Asa couldn't say anything. In the monochrome photo, there was a Kim, with the boy. It was a familiar face, and it was the same affectionate face that she had seen in her dream earlier. Akira. It was Asa's father, especially when he was a young child.
"By the way, what was his name?"
"Akira. Akira Kamori. He and his father ran a store named after their family name. Kamori Grocery it is."
Kim looked at the photo quietly and smiled. However, he raised his head at the ominous atmosphere. Not only Asa, but even Kiriko was looking at him with a very surprised expression.
"Kamori…? Did you just say Kamori?"
Kiriko barely opened her mouth.
"Uh, Yeah. Kamori. Why, do you know anyone around here with the last name Kamori?"
"… Kim. My mom… My mother's last name before marriage was Kamori…"
Kim felt his breath stop for a moment. Asa ran into the living room. The location of a forgotten photo album suddenly came to mind. Kiriko, not realizing that her mother had run away to somewhere else, spoke to Kim in a trembling voice.
"Kim…? Actually, there was something I didn't tell you more. My name, Yamagami Kiriko… Yeah, that's my name, but actually, I've been using a different name since I started fighting with Hashimoto…"
"A different name…?"
Kim looked between the photo and Kiriko with trembling eyes.
"Kamori… Kamori Kiriko. The Hashimotos were targeting our Yamagami family, so I borrowed my mother's last name for a while. Until now, I've introduced myself to everyone except you by this name."
Kiriko also looked between the photo and Kim in a trembling voice. At that moment, Asa ran out of the living room. She put the old photo album down on the table and flipped through the pages frantically. Then, she found a photo. Kim also could recognize the photo that Asa had found. It was a familiar photo. In the monochrome photo, that familiar signboard of Kamori Grocery was visible. And right in front of them, Mr. Kamori and Akira were standing together.
"Mr. Kamori? And Akira too…? Mother, how this…"
Kim flipped through the photo album with trembling hands. And then, the three of them discovered it at the same time.
It was the exact same photo that Kim had, taken of Akira and Kim together. Same composition, same material, and same pose. In the old photo in the album, that had been passed down in Kiriko's family for a long time, Kim's face was clearly visible. His short, neat hair, round glasses, and even the scar on his cheek. Everything was clear. Kiriko and Asa read the writing in the corner of the photo. For Kiriko, it was the handwriting of his maternal grandfather, and for Asa, it was his father's.
[Sergeant Kim. July 23, Showa 61.]